


Lost & Found

by wyvernlordminerva



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Pokemon AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-06
Updated: 2017-02-06
Packaged: 2018-09-22 09:05:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9599231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wyvernlordminerva/pseuds/wyvernlordminerva
Summary: Leo gets lost in the woods and leaves with a new friend. (Pokemon AU)





	

**Author's Note:**

> i just wrote this and it was really cute and  
> also everyone is like way younger in this leo is like nine and xander and camilla are teenagers

Despite Leo’s arguments, his screams and cries, in the end, Xander was right. He always was. The world was too dangerous for him to wander alone, and he was still too young to be a Pokémon trainer like his older siblings. Nevertheless, Leo had stormed off into the forest, determined to prove him wrong.

Instead, he was lost, deep in the haunted Woods of the Forlorn with the sun ready to set.

He wasn’t sure how it even happened, really. Leo was smart, he knew not to stray from the path, and yet, no matter which way he turned, he could no longer find it. It was as though it had just disappeared out from under him, and the forest was rearranging itself with his every step.

A ridiculous thought, certainly. Supposedly haunted or not, dead trees did not just get up and move, much less conspire against wandering visitors. But, if he didn’t get out of here soon, he might have much worse to deal with than just a confusing layout.

The woods were infamous for their large variety of ghost Pokémon. It was part of the reason he had wanted to come here, after all. Ghosts were tricky, cunning, unpredictable. Capable of everything from curses to inflicting pure anguish on their foes. Many feed off negative emotions, like fear, or drain life energy from their victims until they shrivel into dust…

He wanted to go home.

He curled up against a tree trunk, small frame shuddering with his quiet sobs and sniffles. His legs hurt from walking for so long, it must’ve been hours. He was lost, so, so lost, and he’d never get the chance to say goodbye, or apologize. The ghosts were going to come and punish him for being such a spoiled brat-

He watched night fall over the forest, only bugs daring to make noise as the woods lit up with otherworldly lights. It would’ve been beautiful if he weren’t so terrified, flames, glows, gleams of many different colors floating through the air. Some seemed to follow a set path, repeating the same motion over and over again. Others just followed the breeze, moving along without a care. The rest stayed completely still, silent.

Leo could feel their gaze on his skin.

Then, the noises began. Light hums at first, just passing through. Then the voices began to whisper, steadily growing louder and louder. In the distance, he heard the sound of someone crying.

Pain forgotten, Leo stood and began to run.

The spirits around him recoiled from the disturbance, watching in a mix of curiosity and excitement. They could feel his fear, so prominent they could practically taste it. The cries pursued him, the otherworldly noises singing to the rhythm of his agitated heartbeat.

A scream. Not his, but in his voice. Tears leaked from the edge of his vision.

Maybe it was a Gastly, already filling the air around him with toxic gases. Perhaps it was a Banette, so scorned by its original owner it’s vowed revenge on children just like him. So many things lurked in the darkness, waiting for him to slip up, to fall and leave himself vulnerable-

Something yanked on his hair, hard. He yelped, coming to a rough stop as he reached up to pull his head away from whatever assailed him. A giggle, then he was suddenly released. A single red eye watched him, unblinking, approaching. Leo wanted to flee, but he was surrounded on all sides.

He collapsed, shaking and crying, and squeezed his eyes shut as he waited for the pain to start. He waited, and waited, but it never came. Slowly, the noise faded, replaced with a soft cooing.

Leo slowly opened his eyes, unsure what he might find. Two wide eyes watched him from the inside of a floating stump, curious. He stared it down, waiting for it to make a move, to screech and lunge at him or something, but it did nothing.

“What are you waiting for?” Leo asked. “Aren’t you supposed to feed off my misery or something?” The ghost cooed at him again, as if to say, ‘no, that’s silly. I just live here, and you were being kind of noisy.’

“Sorry,” he said. It looked at him, confused. “I’m just… I’m lost, and I want to go h-home...” The ghost stared into his eyes, humming in thought. It floated around him for a moment, assessing the situation, then tugged on his sleeve with a squeak.

“Huh? You...” It motioned in a direction. “You want to take me somewhere?” It nodded, bouncing in the air. Leo pulled himself up, wincing at the ache all over his body, then took the ghost’s hand and let it lead him.

After a while, Leo began to notice something about the woods. Roots shuddered beneath his feet, slowly shuffling around. The Pokémon waved at the trees around them, and shockingly, the trees waved back, bright eyes in their branches greeting them happily.

“They… move,” he said to himself, “The forest rearranges itself. They’re all Pokémon!” No wonder he’d gotten lost. He tensed suddenly.

How could he be sure he could trust them? They’d had gotten him stuck here, after all. Maybe the ghost was going to lead him to a den of Cofagrigus, where he’d be gobbled up and turned into a mummy-

It didn’t matter. He really had no other option.

Right now, he just wanted to see his family again.

* * *

Camilla swooped down on her Hydreigon, landing far too roughly for a dragon tamer of her caliber. She rushed into the house, almost forgetting to return her Pokémon before slamming the door.

“Camilla!” Xander greeted, looking at her expectantly for a moment. When he realized she was alone, however, his expression darkened.

“I can’t find him anywhere, Xander,” she said, not even bothering to suppress the panic in her tone. “I checked with all the neighbors and swept the entire area...”

“I’ve notified the police,” he said. “They’ll be able to find him, I’m sure of it.” She could hear Elise crying in the other room, having refused to go to bed until Leo came home.

“I can’t just sit here and do nothing! Our baby brother is out there all alone, probably scared out of his mind!” she said.

“I know, I know,” Xander said, grimacing. “But there’s nothing else we can do.”

Camilla wanted to scream. She wanted to rip and tear apart every building or mountain that dared to separate her from her family and drag him back home, but instead, she was stuck here, completely useless.

“W-where’s Leo?” Elise said between sobs. Camilla rushed to her side.

“He’s fine, I know he is. He’s such a strong boy,” she reassured her.

“I’m sure he’ll be home by morning,” Xander added. Elise sniffed, rubbing at her eyes.

“You should get some rest, Elise,” Camilla said. “I’m sure you’re exhausted, and sleep will make the time fly faster-”

“No!” she said. “Not until Leo’s back!”

“When Leo come home, we’ll wake you up immediately,” Xander said, offering his most encouraging smile. Elise sniffed, then stifled a yawn. “See? You need sleep.”

“Okay...” she said, resigned, and Camilla picked her up and brought her upstairs to tuck her in.

Xander sighed, sinking into the couch and rubbing his face. His headache had only worsened with time, and he wasn’t sure how much longer he could take before he ran out into the night on a search quest, too. But then he might get lost without a flying type, and they’d be down half a family.

Groaning, he leaned back and closed his eyes. Maybe he could manage some rest-

The doorbell rang.

He jumped off the couch, almost knocking down the end table in his rush to the door. Standing on the front porch was Leo, crying and bruised and-

He pulled him into a hug, squeezing his little brother tight.

“Thank god...” Xander breathed. Leo sniffed.

“‘M sorry...” he mumbled. Xander shook his head.

“No, it’s okay, just-” He took a deep breath. “Come inside.”

Camilla and Elise were on him in an instant.

“Leo!” Camilla cried. “Why are you hurt? Where were you?”

“Stupid big brother!” Elise shouted, still teary. “Don’t ever do that again!”

“I’ll inform the police,” Xander said. “Camilla, go find the first-aid kit, and- Ah!” His gaze fell sharply on a mysterious Phantump that seemed to have followed Leo into the house. He reached for his Aegislash. “Siegfried-”

“No, wait!” Leo said, moving to guard the now-frightened ghost. “He’s my friend! He helped me!” The Phantump cowered behind him, Xander’s expression softening.

“Are you certain?” he asked. “Ghost Pokémon are rarely so kind.” A fact he knew well; Siegfried had tried to kill him several times. Then again, it was rather aggressive in general.

“Yeah. He guided me out of the woods,” Leo said. Camilla seethed.

“You went into the Woods of the Forlorn?” she said. “Leo, you could’ve died!”

“I know...” he sniffed, ready for a fresh new wave of tears.

“It doesn’t matter now,” Xander said. “He’s home safe. That’s what’s important.”

Camilla practically dragged him to the couch as Xander went off to find the first-aid kit, the Phantump hovering over them curiously. Elise watched it in fascination, waving her hand through its ghostly body.

“Elise, don’t mess with that,” Camilla said. “It probably eats souls.”

“I think they’re pretty nice!” she said. The Phantump made a pleased noise.

When Xander returned, Leo’s older siblings immediately began smothering him with all sorts of medicine, cleaning wounds, spraying cuts, et cetera, et cetera. He hissed at the sting, Camilla muttering encouragements, but by the end, he did feel better. Exhausted, he sank into the couch, cradling the Phantump in his arms.

“Seems Leo’s found his first partner, then,” Camilla said, smiling fondly at the pair.

“Appears so,” Xander said. He’d have to find it a Pokéball later.

“What kind of Pokémon is it?” Elise asked, still attempting to poke it. Leo, annoyed, pulled it away from her.

“A Phantump,” Xamder answered, trying to remember his lessons, “The prevailing theory is that the spirits of children who get lost in the woods possess dead trees, thus becoming Phantump.”

“I guess it could relate,” Camilla said.

“So what’re you gonna name them?” Elise asked, tearing Leo from his thoughts.

“Um,” he said, “I haven’t really thought about it.”

“You should name them Stumpy!” she suggested. Leo made a face.

“Eww, that’s horrible,” he said.

“The poor creature doesn’t deserve that,” Xander agreed. Elise pouted.

Leo thought for a moment. A cool Pokémon deserved a cool name, but he couldn’t think of anything. Xander always came up with really good names for his Pokémon, straight out of classic operas. You couldn’t get much better than that.

“I can’t decide yet,” Leo said. “I’ll think of something later.” He’d look through the library tomorrow.

“In that case, we should all get to bed,” Xander said. “It’s been a trying day.”

“You could say that,” Camilla said, heaving a sigh in exhaustion.. Leo and Elise yawned in response. “Alright, you two, upstairs.” They didn’t have the energy to argue, and silently let Camilla guide them to their rooms.

Xander sunk into the couch, wondering if he could even make it to his bed. He desperately needed a good night’s sleep, and yet, he could hardly move anymore.

“Xander, don’t fall asleep on the couch again,” Camilla called, as if she could sense him drifting off. Groaning, he dragged himself to his room and fell face first into the pillows. He didn’t need pjs, or blankets. Within a few moments, he was out, and so was the rest of the house.

Upstairs, Phantump curled up next to Leo and felt like they were at home for the first time in their lives.


End file.
